Biology

Absol is a quadruped, mammalian Pokémon with a dark blue to gray body covered in white fur. It has a ruff around its neck and chest and a tuft on the top of its head adorned with a single blue-black oval. It has a feline face with almond-shaped, red eyes, a scythe-like tail, and a sickle-shaped horn on the side of its head. Its broad feet are equipped with three claws each, and spikes protrude from the heels of its hind legs and the elbows of its front legs.

As Mega Absol, its fur is longer overall, and the increased energy coursing through its body makes the fur at the back of its mane stand on end, so that it appears to have wings.[1] The spikes on its heels and elbows grow larger, and the fur in these areas becomes longer as well. Its sickle-shaped horn widens, while an additional, smaller horn appears on the opposite side of its head. Its tail now has a more saw-like shape, and the oval marking on its forehead is now a rounded triangle.

Absol lives in the mountains far from civilization, and rarely ventures down from its alpine home. Using its horn, Absol is able to sense even subtle changes in the sky and the land to predict when a natural disaster will occur, and will try to warn people when one is approaching. This often has the unfortunate effect of Absol itself being blamed for the disaster.

In the anime

Absol in the anime

Mega Absol in the anime

Major appearances

Absol first appeared in Jirachi: Wish Maker. The Disaster Pokémon showed up to take Jirachi back to Forina. However, Absol wasn't evil, and helped Jirachi once it returned to Forina.

The Disaster Pokémon made its first anime appearance in Absol-ute Disaster. The people of a town were blaming Absol for all the bad things that were happening to their town during the past month. Ash and friends (along with a boy named Nicky) went out to search whether or not the accusations were true. They found out that the Absol was actually warning the town about a flood.

Pokédex entries

Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. Absol live in steep mountainous regions, and rarely venture down into areas inhabited by humans, but should an Absol be seen by humans, it is said that catastrophe is soon to follow.

Origin

Absol is most likely based on the Bai Ze (白澤) of Chinese mythology, whose name literally translates to "white marsh." It is generally described as a white beast, distinguished by having one or two horns on its head. Considered to be an intelligent beast, Bai Ze is gifted with the ability to understand human speech and the knowledge on the forms and habits of 11,520 types of supernatural creatures in the world. In legend, Bai Ze shared its knowledge to the Yellow Emperor, which was subsequently compiled in a book called Bai Ze Tu. Few of its supposed fragments survive today. In Japan, it is known as the hakutaku (白沢). In a related legend, a similar creature known as the kutabe predicted that a plague would sweep through the Toyama Prefecture of Japan. It is also sometimes said to have an extra eye on their head or back, which may be represented by the oval that appears on Absol's forehead.Absol's head is modeled after a Taijitu symbol. Absol's humanized face and feline appearance may also be a homage to the sphinx. Its scythe-shaped tail and horn suggest a resemblance to the Western personified depiction of Death, who is related to destiny and disaster. It may have also been inspired by the black cat superstition.

Name origin

Absol may derive from 物騒 bussō (dangerous). It may also be a combination of ab- ("away from") and sol (Latin for sun), referring to its Dark-type nature. The latter may also be a reference to a solar eclipse, as many cultures considered a solar eclipse as a sign of end-times or disaster.

It may also be derived from absolute, relating to its ability to foretell impending disasters. Or from absolve, meaning "to free someone from punishment or blame," or, "to be declared as innocent for an accused wrongdoing," in reference to it being misunderstood and undeserving of its reputation as doom-bringer.

Alternatively it could derive from Absalom, a name which is said to bring bad luck, according to Jewish tradition.